Wall-hook.



No. 780,956. PATENTED JAN. 24,1905.

-- P. O. PALMER.

- v WALL HOOK.

APJPLIOATION FILED JAN. 8, 1904.

VIII/III,

is driven.

Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK C. PALMER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WALL-HOOK- SIPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,956,dated January 24, 1905. 7

Application filed January 8, 1904. Serial No. 188,171.

My invention relates to wall-hooks and simi{ lar articles and the methodand means-of "securing the samein place.

G By a wall-hook I mean an article comprising a hook portion designed tosupport another article engaged therein or upheld thereby and a suitableshank portion, means being provided to retain the same against the wallor similar surface towhich it is secured.

So far as my knowledge of the art extends the means usually employed forsecuring wallhooks to walls at present comprise a wooden plug driveninto an aperture in the wall and into which in turn the shank of thewall-hook A plug of this character if wet rots and if dry shrinks, andthus rapidly deteriorates with age, and even when some other material isemployed to fill the hole these hooks frequently work loose and droptheir load.

The purpose of my invention is to overcome these disadvantages, and Ibelieve that I have largely done so in the device hereindescribed andillustrated.

In the drawings, Figure lis a vertical section of my improved wall-hookand the accompanying retaining devices and a portion of a wall in whichthey have been inserted. Fig. 2 is a section on the plane of the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking toward the left; andFig. 4 is a perspective view of the wall-hook and accompanying plug, theroughening projections being slightly modified in form.

In the drawings, 10 is the hook portion of a wall-hook adapted to secureand embrace a cable or a similar article placed between it It may bemade of any mate' rial; but I- prefer malleable iron on account of thereadiness with which this material may be shaped.

The hook portion 10 is provided with a shank of peculiar form, thelatter being semicylindrical or semipolyhedral in crosssection, therounded portion 21 being uppermost when secured in place and the flatportion 22i'being lowermost and in a plane substantially coincident withthe longitudinal horizontaldiameter of the aperture in which the shankis placed. It. is easiest to make holes cylindrical in cross-section,and for that reason I prefer to make the shank in this form, although itis obvious that variations may be made from this form without departingfrom the principle of the invention. The shank is also providedexternally with a numb'er-of projections 23 of any desired form, whichserve to roughen its exterior and enable it to take a firmer gripagainst the sides of the aperture. The lower side of the hook portionexternal to the Wallis provided with a series of transverse flutings orindentations 24: 2 1 for a purpose which will presently be described,and these flutings are preferably made with one vertical wall 25 and onewall 26, sloping downwardly and toward the inner end of the shank.

4:0 is a semicylindrical or semipolyhedral plug similar in size andgeneral appearance to the shank 20. It is provided with a lower roundedsurface L1 and an upper flat surface &2 and with external projections43. It is also provided with a shallow groove 44, running from its frontend toward the rear and gradually tapering inward until it finallydisappears in the flat surface 42.

60 is a nail, screw, or similar article with a long body 61, a taperingpoint 62, and a conical or laterally-projecting head 63. This is ofusual form and needs no particular description.

The method of using this device is as follows: The plug is firstinserted in the aperture drilled in the wall to receive it, and thenover itis placed the shank 20. For convenience in making this insertionand securing the registration of the parts the shank 20 and the plug 40may be first secured together by a cord or piece of wire; but its use isnot essential. When the shank and plug have been inserted into theaperture as far as desired, the nail or screw 60 is placed at the outerend of the groove 44: and driven in the groove by blows from a hammer orsimilar instrument, and as it penetrates in the path of the groove itgradually presses against the lower surface 22 of the shank 20 and theupper surface of the plug 40 and tends to expand or press these twopieces apart, the external surfaces of the shank and plug being thusmade to grip the walls of the aperture and tightly hold the shank andhook portion in place. In the drawing Fig. 1 the extent to which theprojections 23 and 43 will penetrate into the wall is much exaggerated;but this has been done for the purpose of specifically calling attentionto the result of the divergence of the shank and plug due to thepressure of the nail. The head 63 of the nail as it is driven inwardlycomes into contact with the lower surface of the shank 20 and with theindentations 24, formed thereon. It readily passes over the inclinedsurfaces 26 as a pawl passes over a ratchet; but when it is once inplace it rests against one of the vertical walls 25, and its accidentalwithdrawal is quite effectually prevented. Forcing apart the shank andthe plug at the inner end of the aperture in which they are placedforces their outer ends toward each other, and this increases the gripof both upon the nail and likewise serves to lock the head of the nailagainst the indentations on the lower side of the shank; The weight ofthe body resting upon the hook portion between it and the wall serves toincrease the contact-pressure between the parts also and to make themmore efficient to perform the function for which they are adapted.

What I claim as new is 1. The combination of a wall-hook comprising ahook portion and a shank adapted to be inserted in ahole in a wall, aplug adapted to be inserted into the hole with the shank,

and means, comprising a nail or similar device to be driven between theshank and plug, for pressing apart said shank and plug after insertion.

2. The combination of a wall-hook comprising a hook portion and a shankadapted to be inserted in a hole in a wall, a plug adapted to beinserted in the hole with the shank. and having a groove in its facenext to the shank, and means, comprising a nail or similar deviceadapted to be driven into said groove, for pressing apart the shank andplug after insertion.

3. The combination of a wall-hook comprising a hook portion and a shankadapted to be inserted in a hole in a wall, a plug adapted to beinserted in the hole with the shank, a nail adapted to be driven inbetween the shank and plug, and means for locking the nail in positionafter driving.

4. The combination of a wall-hook comprising a hook portion and a shankhaving indentations and adapted to be inserted in a hole in a wall, aplug adapted to be inserted in the hole with the shank, and meanscomprising a nail or similar device having an expanded head adapted toengage in said indentations, for pressing the shank and plug apart.

5. The combination of a wall-hook comprising a hook portion and a shankhaving indentations and adapted to be inserted in a hole in the wall, agrooved plug adapted to be inserted in the hole with the shank, andmeans, comprising a nail or similar device adapted to fit in the grooveof the plug and having an expanded head adapted to engage in saidindentations, for pressing the shank and plug apart.

Witness my hand, this 6th day of January, 1904, at the city of New York,in the county and State of New York.

FREDERICK C. PALMER.

Witnesses:

' S. J. COX.

BARTLETT J. SMITH.

